In the footsteps of the Chinese diaspora: Lee Kum Kee and its worldwide oyster sauce trading network

Abstract

Lee Kum Kee (LKK) is the largest and best-known Chinese sauce brand in the world. The Hong Kong-based family enterprise, which originated in South China in 1888, has prospered through its worldwide oyster sauce trading network built among the Chinese diaspora. This paper examines the rise of LKK from the perspective of its network resources. It appears that LKK’s dynamics with the ‘old’ and ‘new’ overseas Chinese communities are rather different: while it maintains its hold on the former, it has just begun to tap into the network resources of the latter. Hong Kong as a key hub of the Chinese diaspora was crucial in the construction of LKK’s trading network. It also shaped the identity of LKK, making LKK first and foremost a Hong Kong Chinese enterprise rather than a Chinese enterprise.